Technology and Veterinary Medicine

In 1988 when I graduated from ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, I never knew how much change would occur in the area of technology. Computers were not a household item. We had just started to see VCR’s in most homes. Cell phones were nonexistent and not even a figment of our imagination. Most classes were taught with a projector and class notes printed out and placed in a binder to study. We still purchased text books and carried them with us to classes. Post offices and home rotary phones were the primary way to communicate with family and friends. It seems like this was only yesterday but also amazing what advances we have seen in the last 30 years.

When considering technology, I feel we are far better off with many of the modern advances but also feel we have lost some of the common courtesies of the past. I would hate to write out all of my notes on a typewriter or place them on hand written cards. Invoices that calculate sales tax are quick and easy with our software. Ordering products online to restock our shelves allows us to see immediately if a product is unavailable. Having clients receive text messages or emails has been a great addition to our reminder system for our patients and their preventative health needs. To even consider returning to the ways of the past gets my head spinning knowing how difficult tasks would be without computers.

In the past few years, our continuing education sessions have started including discussions on how to get the most out of social media sites for a veterinary practice. These sessions are insightful and offer lots of ideas on how to attract more clients to Winterset Veterinary Center. This monthly blog was one of the ideas that was shared about 3 years ago. Having a presence on the web was important and necessary to continue to attract new business and retain the current business. Phone books were no longer a good place to advertise since everyone seems to be looking up phone numbers on the web or they have the number stored in their phone. Whoever would have thought that phone books would no longer be needed.

Here is where I start to have a little concern when it comes to technology and information. The number of times I see or talk with people that have already sought out information from “DR GOOGLE” raises my eyebrows. It leaves me wondering at what point a practice like Winterset Veterinary Center will no longer be standing because we have already seen Doctors of human medicine and veterinary medicine diagnosing cases through computer portals. This seems like a great way to reduce cost and allow anyone and everyone access to affordable care. Yet removing the opportunity to place hands on a patient to assess the physical findings removes a large part of our diagnostics. The physical exam is the most important part of our evaluation. It gives us the direction needed to start our diagnostics and come to a diagnosis. Without that exam we are just guessing at what might be the cause.

We are seeing more and more clients choosing to order products online. The difficulty with this is that dogs and cats change weight classes and environments so what products are needed to prevent diseases constantly changes. Just because a product was used last year does not make it the best product to use this year. Lifestyles of the pets are constantly evolving and so without the help of your veterinarian you may be missing some key elements in prevention and thereby cause exposure to diseases and parasites that you were not even aware existed. The number of products that are available to chose from can be confusing and misunderstood for many clients. These are all important things to consider prior to ordering online. We as veterinarians are wanting to keep your pets safe and protected from internal and external parasites with the best products available to date. These products are changing constantly so do yourself a favor and ask your veterinarian what would be best for your fur baby. Buy local and keep your pets protected with the newest and most effective products.

Social media sites have shown to be helpful when finding business that offer services you are in need of. We have a website and a Facebook page currently. It is always nice to see when someone likes our page, a picture, or a blog that has been posted. We can track the activity and see the demographics of who is visiting our sites. The challenge with these sites is when an unhappy client wants to trash a business by telling only their side of the story. In the past if someone had a concern, they took their issues right to the source and together found a way to resolve the conflict. Now it seems people want to air their differences on these sites and it becomes a place where everyone shares their grievances as well. The negatives of social media on the lives of individuals and businesses can be detrimental. Numerous times lives are destroyed or worse ended because of words on social media.

Maybe we need to think carefully about what we write on these sites. If we would not be willing to say these words directly to the business or person, then maybe we should not write them online. Maybe we should consider speaking directly about the problem to the business or person and as in the “good old” days come to a conclusion together on how to resolve the issue. We need to remember to be kind when dealing with people. Everyone has a story and things happening in their lives unknown to us. We need to treat others as we want to be treated. If we all could use more gentleness and kindness in our daily lives what a better world this would be.

We love to see the positive reviews that are left on our Facebook page. We hope that our posts offer some important information. We appreciate all the times people share the found dogs or dogs up for adoption so we can help find their Forever Families. We are grateful we can now text or email clients with reminders and results. All in all, technology has been a positive addition to Veterinary Medicine. Let’s try to remember that relationships are important and we want to continue to serve our clients and their furry friends for years to come. We cannot do that without seeing you come through our doors. The relationships we make with our clients and their pets is what makes our days at Winterset Veterinary Center worthwhile.